Chapter 123
The mansion, wrapped in gray castle walls, was silent. In the dead of night, when everyone else was asleep, Jerop Dycus rose from bed. Sleep would not come to him.
Diane, breathing evenly, had finally fallen into a fragile sleep after tossing and turning for a long time. Even while asleep, she clutched Jerop’s clothing tightly, refusing to let go. Her unease lingered in her small hands. Jerop carefully freed her delicate fingers from his clothes so as not to wake her, leaving the fabric crumpled.
She had refused the first priest’s offer to return her to her original world. Though she must have been terrified, she had resolved to fight instead. She was strong.
And Jerop would absolutely protect Diane Haste.
But.
Another thought floated into his mind.
He decided it was because it was night. At night, everyone’s emotions boiled over; there was no sun to preserve reason. He washed his face in the moonlit sea outside, the stinging sensation like a thorn in his eye.
He needed to sleep to conserve his energy.
Yet, when he lay down again, sleep did not come easily.
“Ha.”
Eventually, Jerop Dycus rose abruptly and headed out of the room.
Knock knock—
His steps led him to the room where Evana Defber was staying. She had been given the best room but chose to stay in the guest room.
Jerop had assumed Evana would leave immediately, but she had held Diane’s hand, insisting they would resist together until the Crown Prince arrived.
“What is it?”
Evana, barely asleep, opened the door and asked irritably. She was a light sleeper and had woken easily, wearing pajamas with a robe thrown over them.
“I have a favor to ask.”
Jerop, who had barged in unannounced, said it calmly. His voice had a low, serious tone. Jerop Dycus had made proposals before, but this was the first time he had ever asked for a favor.
Evana looked at him and crossed her arms, curious. Coming into a lady’s room uninvited at this hour could only mean a serious request.
“Take Diane and get her out of here.”
“Jerop Dycus.”
It was indeed a serious request.
Jerop quickly realized why. Evana would know the Defber villa’s structure, its natural fortifications, and hidden passages better than anyone. Her sudden presence confirmed it. There must be a secret way out.
“You can hide her where no one can find her. With your brother Evan’s strength.”
Jerop knew his close friend Evan’s abilities well. Evan could do what Jerop could not.
To become close to someone and ask a favor.
To quietly influence hearts with trust and ensure silence.
Jerop was someone who relied more on authority and force.
As a duke, second only to the emperor, he rarely had cause to ask favors. Appealing to emotion was not natural to him. Evan, however, excelled at winning hearts. Diane trusted him, and if anyone could hide a small woman in the midst of others, it would be him.
“Then why didn’t you just send Diane back to her original world?”
“That’s…”
Evana pinpointed the most important issue, leaving Jerop speechless.
She was right. That would have been the safest course.
“I wanted her to be under the same sky as me.”
Jerop answered, feeling heat rise to his ears. He hadn’t let her go. He held on, stubbornly refusing to let her leave.
It was greed.
If she went to another world, they could never meet again. But if she remained in the same flow of time…
Could they meet again by chance?
Could they someday laugh together if all the troubles were resolved?
He wanted to bear all the bad things alone, yet he could not let go. He wanted to hope that she was alive somewhere, that they might meet again.
Hope. A favor.
Jerop scoffed at the words that came to mind.
Words he had thought he’d never use in his life.
He had never lived relying on illusions. He pursued practicality. Diane Haste—when had she become so deeply ingrained in his heart? It was astonishing.
“And you want me to bear all her resentment now?”
“Ask Evan for help.”
Evana let out a long sigh and crossed her arms. Jerop still thought of them as separate. Even while asking a favor, he remained indifferent.
“You know, you and Evan are very similar.”
He realized this anew, narrowing his eyes to study Evana. With her hair tied back, she looked almost exactly like Evan.
“You don’t understand a woman’s heart at all. Diane will suffer greatly.”
“I feel sorry for having to ask Evan for this favor.”
Evana snorted. She was indifferent enough to not even notice someone wearing a simple nightdress.
“I am Evan. You should be apologizing to me.”
“What?”
“Say it again. I am Evan Defber.”
She pointed at herself with her index finger to make it clear. Jerop’s eyes widened and then returned to normal. He studied her face closely. His memory was sharp, but his friend Evan’s face was a little blurred.
It wasn’t just similar—it was identical. Even the placement of a single mark on her face matched. Why hadn’t he noticed until now?
Jerop let out a small sigh.
“To think I couldn’t recognize my childhood friend as a woman, yet expected to ask a favor.”
He scolded himself.
“Sorry I didn’t recognize you.”
Evana’s apology for Jerop was unfamiliar. He was not the type to admit his faults.
Apologies and gratitude—he had thought he didn’t know such things—but they had been changing day by day.
This was Diane’s doing. Her warm presence had melted Jerop’s hardened heart and reshaped it. Not bad at all.
“I handle the sword well. I can defeat anyone.”
Jerop, as if to show his strength, grabbed the doorframe next to him. The wooden threshold cracked under his grip.
Even the ten-year-old in Lunacidium knew he was strong.
Jerop Dycus, praised by the emperor himself, wielded sword energy.
Strong enough to destroy an entire knight order without a single falter.
“I’ve never aimed a sword at the royal family. What if I make a mistake…”
Jerop lowered his head at the thought of making a mistake. He was scared. It was a weakness he had never felt before: the fear of losing. It wouldn’t matter if he alone were hurt or broken.
A weakness had formed.
A man who had been filled with confidence all his life considered the worst-case scenario for a situation that hadn’t even happened.
“Are you telling me to take her away because you’re afraid Diane will be hurt?”
“Yes.”
“What do you take her for? If she knew, she’d be furious.”
Evana’s voice carried a tinge of anger. Jerop knew it well.
The woman he loved was strong. Reckless, even with him. Even when nearly cut by a blade, she had the boldness to advise others with her last words. She had a warm heart that would shed tears for another’s pain.
He didn’t want to lose her.
This, too, was his selfishness.
He closed his eyes tightly and opened them again. Diane would surely be angry if she learned this. If he ran away with Evana, she might declare she would never see him again.
The initiative had long belonged to Diane.
“No mistakes, Jerop Dycus.”
Yes. He only needed to avoid mistakes.
Evana erased the fear from his heart. In the face of Evan’s likeness, she firmly steadied him.
“You should go far away. You’re not involved.”
“Go on, run away.”
Evana’s mouth curled slightly at one side.
Was this truly Jerop? Someone concerned about others? It was unfamiliar, yet not unpleasant. He had always lacked humanity.
“Focus. I’ve already put everything on Duke Dycus. That’s why I accepted the engagement as Evana and kneeled before the emperor as Evan.”
She grabbed Jerop’s collar. Despite the height difference, she clutched his clothing and gritted her teeth. Her yellow eyes, illuminated by moonlight, glinted dangerously at him.
It was the gaze of Evan Defber that Jerop knew so well.
“I will kill Pope Adrian.”
“Good. Do it.”
“That means making both the temple and the royal family our enemies.”
“You’re already at odds with the temple. Will adding the royal family make much difference?”
She released her grip on his collar.
Jerop didn’t know Evana well. They had grown up together, but he only knew her as the younger sibling of a friend who occasionally attended formal events and delivered cutting remarks.
But he knew Evan better than anyone. Now, she was ready to face the end together.
“Does Sir Minuel know this?”
Jerop asked, his voice restrained.
Evana drew a sharp breath at this unfamiliar side of Jerop, who cared for someone else.
“Of course. I have nothing to hide from my lover. I am far better at romance, so call me ‘older sister,’ yes?”
“Strange talk.”
Jerop expressed displeasure at her sly joke. He was more accustomed to this face.
“Jerop Dycus, return to your lover. Mine is jealous and won’t tolerate a man visiting her room at midnight.”
“Yes, understood. Go back.”
“Minuel?”
Unlike the surprised Evana, Jerop seemed unfazed, having sensed her presence. Minuel casually draped an arm over one of Evana’s shoulders.
“The Crown Prince’s ship is ready to depart. It should arrive around sunset tomorrow.”
Preparations must be made to greet him.
